Hitokiri, Variant (5e Class)

Hitokiri, Variant

I've slain everyone who've mocked me. You'd better be careful, too. It wouldn't be funny if the dog you took in bit yer hand off.

Heaven’s Punishment

The man walked amongst the crowd, the general hustle and bustle of the festival drowning out almost all other sounds save for the laughter of the crowd. Shoving past the crowded streetside with the crimson scabbard resting on his shoulder, his gait undignified and his appearance shabby, the manslayer walked past the disfaced storefront with an annoyed huff. His irritation practically scribbled on his features. The man is going to die. The hitokiri knows this. His fate has already been sealed, and there is no escaping it, and he is woefully unaware of this fact. A flash of a blade, and a glint of steel, and his head fell separate from his body with a geyser of blood. The laughter continued, unaware of the killing. The hitokiri flicked his blade, sheathed his sword, and kept on his way.

As an Orc silently drinks his ale an Eladrin dressed in the ragged, travel-worn remains of a kimono stepped through the doors of the tavern. Two men glowered at the hitokiri from one of the nearby corners. The Orc snickers, then continues drinking his ale. Without waiting for the assassin to draw his blade the two men attack. With unnatural speed the Eladrin lazily dodges the first jab, throwing a mug of ale into the man’s face before tossing a chair toward the second man before he could react and in a single blink of an eye, his curved blade presses at the other's neck. The Eladrin brought up the declaration of Heaven's Punishment, and the declaration was understood. Move or die.

Regardless of the origin or path of these manslayers, one thing is certain, they are all known as Hitokiri.

Manslayers

Although ninja come to mind within popular nomenclature as the traditional Japanese agent of sabotage and assassination in the shadows, hitokiri were more prominent during more peaceful times such as the Edo Period and were more explicitly sought for the need to execute others with a greater degree of social flexibility and camouflage, as akin to hitmen; while samurai were allowed to strike down those who offended them, social standing was of utmost importance to those of higher class, and cutting down offenders demanded evidence and lawful reason with legitimate weight of action lest they risk dishonor and be forced to commit seppuku, or be punished by public execution, especially if targets in mind held major social influence and were of nobility.

Essentially acting by proxy, hitokiri in turn were not bound to these strict codes, and were of or could masquerade as ronin and lower ranking samurai, acting as the swords of their superiors and clientele. With their guise, hitokiri were able to strike within the bustle of city crowds as well as the darkness of night and the obscurity of privacy, could also join in the chaos of battle to seek out priority targets while their allies provided distraction, and upon finishing their job, could immediately fade out of public awareness without drawing attention to their superiors. Due to their tactics, their blindsiding and obfuscated nature had their acts appear as if they were the enactment of heaven’s judgment by calamity of the everyday world, and popularly in turn, it was considered custom to leave behind notes reading tenchu, or "heavenly punishment" upon a successful hit to also demoralize and weaken the spirit of their victim's associates, and especially if another series of attacks was needed in times of political unrest or quiet yet another seething civil war. While existing throughout Japanese history, hitokiri were particularly active during the turbulent years of the Bakumatsu, when both the Ishin Shishi and Bakufu required swordsmen who moved in the shadows, silencing their enemies swiftly and disappearing without a trace. These hitokiri were frequently unknown except in certain circles, where they would often take "professional" names like "Hitokiri Battōsai" and "Hitokiri Kurogasa". Frequently, hitokiri who fail their missions and are captured for interrogation commit seppuku in order to keep their secret orders from being known and sometimes, for the purpose of keeping certain assassinations secret, the hitokiri himself would be murdered or "erased" by his so-called comrades, thereby eliminating the full knowledge of his actions from the world.

Though some consider hitokiri merely murderers, those within the profession have said of that the difference between murderers and hitokiri lies in the fact that, while a hitokiri chooses to become a killer of his or her own free will, the targets to be slain are always chosen by someone else. Any hitokiri who breaks this rule to resolve a purely personal grudge opens himself to discovery, threatening himself, his benefactor as well as his missions and will likely meet a shameful end. Many, whether outright murderers or shameless braggarts, have claimed to be hitokiri in order to make others fear them, but it is said that being a hitokiri is not about killing - Not only does when one turn down the path of a hired blade to kill for a purpose and ambition, but a true hitokiri carries the weight of the lives he's taken upon his back as they drag him down into a hell of his own making all throughout his life for that very motivation. Often, one carries the weight of his assassinations for the rest of his days and those in the know are able to tell a hitokiri by his very presence or the depth of his stare.

Creating a Hitokiri

By Tete

To be a hitokiri one must ask themselves, what drew you to the life of being a political assassin, or hitman? Did you join of your own volition or were you forced into the life? Are you regretful of your killings, or did you embrace it? Whatever your reasons may be, there is a lifetime of blood on your hands, and a mountain of bodies at your back. Did you always have a soul that was meant for horrific deeds in word, action and thought? If this is so, what drove you to such a violent service?

Quick Build

You can make a Hitokiri quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Soldier background. Third, if you are focusing on Strength choose the masakari, wakizashi, and an explorer's pack. If instead you are using Dexterity choose the longbow with 20 arrows and a dagger, leather armor, kusarigama and a burglar's pack. And for both this also include a set of calligrapher's supplies and a dagger.

Class Features

As a Hitokiri you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Hitokiri level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Hitokiri level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: All Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Calligrapher's Supplies, a Gaming Set
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Persuasion, Survival and Stealth.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• Leather Armor (Kimono)
• (a) Katana or (b) a Masakari
• (a) Longbow and 20 arrows, and a simple weapon or (b) 10 Kunai
• (a) Wakizashi or (b) a Kusarigama
• (a) Burglar's Pack or (b) an Explorer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10gp in funds.

Table: The Hitokiri

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Manslayer Damage	Brutality Points
1st	+2	Infamy, Signature Weapon, Fighting Stances	—	—
2nd	+2	Brutality, Manslayer	1d6	2
3rd	+2	Slayers Methods, Warrant To Kill, Heaven’s Punishment	2d6	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	2d6	3
5th	+3	Kiai, Extra Attack, Signature Weapon Mastery	2d6	3
6th	+3	Fighting Stances	3d6	4
7th	+3	Marked For Death, Staredown, Slayers Methods	3d6	4
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3d6	5
9th	+4	Brutal Kiai	4d6	5
10th	+4	Slayers Methods	4d6	6
11th	+4	Extra Attack	4d6	6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4d6	7
13th	+5	Dismemberment	5d6	7
14th	+5	Well Executed Execution, Slayers Methods	5d6	8
15th	+5	Grevious Wounds	5d6	8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	6d6	9
17th	+6	Prey On The Weak	6d6	9
18th	+6	Requiem	7d6	10
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Soul Powered	7d6	10
20th	+6	Sloppy Butcher	8d6	11

Infamy

The hitokiri's reputation for bloodshed—deserved or not—follows him everywhere, so some hitokiri adopt pseudonyms or secret identities. At level 1 you gain proficiencies in Intimidation and Deception. Whenever someone in a position of authority has heard of the hitokiri's past (History check DC 15), the hitokiri takes a -4 penalty on all Charisma based checks involving that person. The infamy penalty applies only if the authority figure knows the hitokiri's true identity.

Signature Weapon

Hitokiri are as infamous as the weapons that made them. At 1st level you start out with your chosen Hitokiri weapons: the Katana/Masakari/Longbow/Wakizashi, and a Kusarigama. You may carve a symbol of your choice into the weapon. If your weapon is lost or destroyed, you can summon it back to you by drawing the symbol (in blood) you carved onto a solid surface that is larger than your weapon. This requires meditating over a long rest to complete. You must be on the same plane of existence that you lost the weapon to succeed in this.

• Additionally at the 7th level your signature weapon becomes magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Fighting Stances

A Hitokiri's time spent cutting men down has allowed them to perfect their ability to adapt their stances while in combat. At 1st level you can learn a total of 2 different Stances out of the 8 (Nito-ryū is only unlocked at level 8 and Eishin-ryū is only unlocked at level 14). You learn 2 stances at level 2 and learn 2 new stances at the 6th and 15th level. Upon reaching 15th level you gain the ability to activate and maintain two Stances at once. Upon Reaching 20th level you can activate all stances simultaneously and retain them until the end of your 2nd turn after using this ability. After the 2 turns you are unable to enter stances for 2 turns and are only able to move 5ft per turn). All activate can only be used once every 24 hours, in addition you lose access to Eishin-ryū for the duration.

• A Stance is activated and can be changed as a bonus action, and lasts for 1 minute, until you activate a different Stance, if you are knocked prone, become grappled or restrained. The number of times a Hitokiri can activate a stance a day is equal to half your total Hitokiri Level (rounded down) +1. A short rest restores all expended uses.

Jigen-ryū. While in this stance, you deal an additional 1d12 Melee damage on attacks with advantage.

Shinkage-ryū. While in this stance, you can use a reaction to automatically succeed 1 saving throw.

Jikishi-ryū. While in this stance, your attacks of opportunity trip enemies if successful, if your target cannot be knocked prone they take 3 extra damage.

Tamiya-ryū. While in this stance, your attacks have advantage if you have not moved this turn.

Ono-ryū. While you are in this stance, footwork and defense is your primary focus. When you use used dodge action you gain a +2 to your AC until the end of your next turn.

Ittō-ryū. Centered entirely on single weapons combat. As long as you are in this stance, you can use the attack action and your bonus action to make a melee attack on all enemies that are within range. These attacks do not benefit from your proficiency bonus.

Nito-ryū. A style of swordsmanship with a focus on duel wielding. While in this stance, you can choose to attack twice with each attack action. If you do not use the attack action, you can use both weapons to parry any physical attack targeted at you.

Eishin-ryū. While in this stance whenever you begin combat, you concentrate on ending combat in one strike. For the first strike against an enemy you haven't attacked before, you gain a +5 to hit the target.

Brutality

As more bodies drop at your feet, your intimidating aura grows. Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness your bloodlust to terrify your opponents through your sheer brutality. Your access to this is represented by a number of brutality points. Your hitokiri level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Brutality Points column of the Hitokiri table.

You can spend these points to fuel various brutality features. You start knowing four such features: Mugen-ryū, Senbonzakura, Tainted Gift, and Fear Itself.

You learn more brutality features as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a brutality point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended brutality points back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes at rest to regain your brutality points.

Some of your brutality point features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Brutality point save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Mugen-ryū

When you take the attack action on your turn, you can expend 1 brutality point when you hit an enemy with a melee attack to make an additional two melee attacks. These are made without the Proficiency modifier

Senbonzakura

Before you make an attack action you can expend a brutality point to add an additional +10 to your attack rolls at the cost of losing an equal number of damage points. On hit they must succeed on a DC 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma Modifier constitution saving throw, whenever a target that fails this saving throw makes an attack against the user, they get disadvantage.

Tainted Gift

You can expend 1 brutality point to sear a mark of death into a target within eyesight of you. While marked you’ll always know the location of this target, when killed, will cause you and your allies within 30 feet of you to regenerate an additional 1d10 + your Charisma modifiers worth of health. The mark can last an indefinite amount of time, but only one target can be marked at a time.

Fear Itself

Expend a Brutality Point when dropping an enemies health to zero, you can perform an execution, beheading or dismembering them in brutal fashion with a big arch or violent thrust. Frightening enemy creatures that can see you until they succeed a wisdom saving throw equal to 8 + your Charisma Modifier + your proficiency score. They must remake the save at the start of their next turn. You must perform a short rest to use this ability again.

Manslayer

At level 2, as a reaction when you attack a humanoid you can expend a brutality point to deal manslayer damage, but only if you're using your signature weapon. The bonus damage increases as you gain hitokiri levels according to the Hitokiri Table.

Slayers Methods

A hitokiri's path will rarely deviate from the path of manslaying, most hirokiri will often either choose to remain on the path of the Slayer, but the few that tire of the fighting will become a Wanderer and instead choose to seek out and fix their injustices. Upon reaching 3rd level, choose an archetype that you want to be emulating in combat techniques. The archetype you pick grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 10th, and 14th level.

Warrant To Kill

Being a manslayer comes with certain benefits. At 3rd level, whenever you have to state a reason for killing someone resulting in a deception, intimidation or persuasion check, you do so with advantage.

Heaven’s Punishment

Starting at 3rd level, when passing judgement on an enemy, there is nothing standing in your way. When you roll for damage against an enemy you hit with advantage, you ignore physical resistances, but not immunities.

Kiai

All samurai walk a path of honor, but the hitokiri, the path they walk is stained with red. The hitokiri had cast away the code of bushido and anything to do with honor, and a heart that once remembered the thrill of bravery now only remembers resistance flesh gives to the cutting edge of a katana. At 5th level, Once you roll for initiative, you may choose to reduce your Armor Class by a minimum of 2 and a maximum equal to your Hitokiri Level and gain bonus damage in that combat equal to the amount of AC reduced. For example, a 9th-level hitokiri using his kiai could take a –9 penalty to AC in exchange for a +9 bonus on damage rolls until the end of the combat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.

Signature Weapon Mastery

Starting at 5th level, You can perform devastating attacks with your signature weapon. Your attacks with melee weapon score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Starting at 11th level, your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18 to 20, and at 17th your attacks with melee weapons score a critical hit on a roll of 17 to 20.

Marked For Death

Starting at 7th level, at the start of combat you can expend one brutality point to mark one enemy. You have advantage on attack rolls against this enemy. The enemy has disadvantage on all attacks against you.

Staredown

Your intimidating aura grows. Beginning at the 7th Level, gain expertise in Intimidation. If, for some reason, you are not proficient in Intimidation, you gain proficiency.

Brutal Kiai

At 9th level, when a hitokiri uses his Kiai, he can expend a brutality point and make one melee attack against each opponent within reach of his movement. Modifiers and effects that would apply to his charge apply to your Brutal Kiai. You can use this feature once, you gain an additional use of this feature at 10th and again at 15th level. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Dismemberment

Starting at 13th level, twice per long rest, when you score a critical hit, you can disarm a humanoid enemy by cutting off their weapon hand.

Well Executed Execution

At 14th level, whenever you perform an execution or dismember an opponent in combat. Enemies you can see are forced to roll a DC 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma Modifier, and on a fail enemies gain the condition frightened. On the start of their turns they can reroll the DC saving throw with a +2 (this bonus doubles after each fail) to the roll, and on a successful save, the effect ends.

Grievous Wounds

Starting at 15th level, whenever you score a critical hit on a creature using a melee weapon, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Prey On The Weak

Starting at 17th level, when you either move to, or away, from an an enemy that is frightened, you can use your reaction to make an attack.

Requiem

At 18th level, a hitokiri gains the ability to seal the souls of his enemies into his signature weapons. Performing a killing blow traps their soul into his blade and destroys their body entirely, leaving behind their equipment in smoldering ashes. This prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse. Flip a coin upon taking their soul, and on heads, a wish, miracle, or true resurrection spell can restore a soul-stolen victim to life. Check once for each destroyed creature. If the check fails, the creature cannot be brought back to life by mortal magic unless the weapon in which their soul is trapped is destroyed.

Soul Powered

At 19th level, a hitokiri can use the power of the souls they collected in their signature weapons to fuel their attacks. Whenever you hit an attack, add bonus damage equal to the number of souls collected by that specific signature weapon. This bonus damage bypasses any feature that restricts any other bonus damage. At the end of combat, all souls that are trapped in all signature weapons are released from their captivity.

Sloppy Butcher

At 20th level, you can shatter or remove the limbs of your opponents with precise strikes. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon, you deal 4d6 additional damage and the creature must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, or you lop off one of the target’s limbs, with the effect of such loss determined by the GM. If the creature has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body instead.

On a roll of 20 on the d20, you deal 6d6 additional damage

Once you use this ability, you must finish a long rest before using it again.

Slayers Methods

Wanderer

The path of the wanderer is an oftentimes lonely one, full of hardships and mental hurdles unlike any you would face. These hitokiri are often the estranged outsiders, vagrants that have either left the manslayer life behind or were left with nothing else but the life of a hitokiri. They are capable warriors who can bring an end to the unjust or cruel folk who refuse to listen to reason with a quick flick of their blade.

Peaceful Negotiations

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to diffuse violent situations. Whenever you make a Charisma check to calm violent emotions or to counsel peace, you have advantage on the roll. You must make this entreaty in good faith; it doesn’t apply if proficiency in the Deception or Intimidation skill applies to your check.

You also gain proficiency in the Performance or Persuasion skill (choose one), if you already have proficiency then gain expertise.

Slipping Strike

At 3rd level, whenever you take the Disengage or Dodge action on your turn, you can make a single attack with a melee weapon as a bonus action.

Reassuring Hand

You gain the ability to temporarily extinguish a creature’s violent impulses. As an action, you can touch a creature, and it must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. If the target fails the save, it can’t attack for 1 minute. During that time, it also can’t cast spells that deal damage or that force someone to make a saving throw.

Parry

Beginning at the 10th level, when another creature hits you or another creature within 5ft of you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the attack and damage roll dealt by the attack by 1d8 + your dexterity modifier + your Proficiency bonus. If the damage or hit roll is completely reduced to 0 then you can expend 1 Brutality point to make an attack of opportunity. You can use this feature a number of time equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Spirit Of Vengeance

At 14th level, you gain the ability to get vengeance on someone who fells others. If you see a creature reduce another creature to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to grant yourself a bonus to all damage rolls against the aggressor until the end of your next turn. The bonus equals your hitokiri level.

Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Slayer

The path of the slayer is oftentimes a violent one. These Hitokiri's presence on the battlefield spreads a dark cloud of death that can terrify all enemies. They aim to decide combat with just one perfect cut. Followers of the precise strike method are analytic fighters, only moving when the perfect moment arrives. These powerful slices hit weak spots, pressure points and other vital areas on the opponents body, resolving the conflict with deadly timing.

Predator

When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Stealth, Survival and Deception. You gain expertise in all these skills. If you are not proficient with one of these skills, gain proficiency in it.

Reading Intentions

At 3rd level, you can read your opponent's intentions. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill, if you did not have it already, and you can add twice your proficiency modifier to Wisdom (Insight) checks you make during combat.

• In addition you have advantage on Wisdom checks made to perceive the intentions or detect the position of enemies outside of combat.

Presence Concealment

At 7th level you gain the ability to erase your presence. Your footsteps no longer make sound while moving, and you gain advantage on rolls involving stealth, in addition any attacks made from stealth are considered critical attacks.

Cutting Technique

At 10th level, you know the right angles to cut even trough iron. As an action, you can make an attack with a melee weapon targeting an object. You have disadvantage on this attack, but if you hit, deal critical hit damage.

One Strike, Two Cuts

Beginning at 14th level when you land a hit on a creature you may use your bonus action to make an additional attack roll on that enemy, dealing 4d8 force damage on a hit (this attack does not gain bonus damage from other abilities/stances). You may do this a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier, regain expended uses after a long rest.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the another class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13 or Strength 13

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